Nailing Your First Week at a New Job

Congratulations on nabbing that job role! It was a long and tough interview process but you finally made it! But now, here comes the harder part – proving to the company that they made the right choice in hiring you. And you can bet that people are really watching you.

As a matter of fact, people can already tell whether you’re going to be successful or not. According to a Full bridge survey, executives are closely watching first-entry hires in their first week. One week doesn’t seem to take that much of time, but when you’re still adjusting to a new setting, you can already make loads of mistakes during a one-week period. Even so, there are still lots of things you can do to convince people that you were worth that contract.

Pause now, change later

Being the new guy or new girl, you feel that there are so many things that you can do for the company. You want so much to prove yourself. You can even get the feeling that you want to everything in the office. But when you’re only starting out with your career, and when you still don’t know anyone in the office, it would be best to first observe and listen to your surroundings, and then act later.

It’s normal to feel enthusiastic in your first job. You feel that you can fix all the problems that the company has, but in order for you to that, you have to familiarize yourself first with the processes and workflow inside the office. This isn’t something you want to learn once the company wants to relieve you of your duties. With that, you should take the time to observe your surroundings. See how people are getting along with each other.

The first thing you need to know about being employed is you have to get along with your co-workers. That being said, you need to know the culture and traditions the company has. Remember that once a first impression has been set, it’s going to be difficult to convince them otherwise. Do your best to make friends, and not piss anyone off.

Learn the company culture

The team culture and the company culture are two different terms. It may sound like it echoes the same meaning, but they have a different implication. When we say team culture, it refers to the culture of the whole staff. It refers to the proper way of dealing with your co-workers. You might have been used to an informal environment back in your school, but now that you’re already a professional, there will be some changes. The company you’re working might be filled with employees who take their work really seriously. If they see you mess around it might give them the impression that you’re not at all interested in your work.

Ask the right questions

You’re still getting the hang of your new job, and it’s understandable if you make a few mistakes or if there are some things that you don’t know. But being the new girl or new guy, you want to impress your employer. The only way for you to that is if show him that you’re doing your job well. This justifies the first item where I said that you need to observe and listen to your surroundings. Doing that, you’ll be able to see the things you’re missing. You’ll become aware of the things you need to ask.

Before you were even invited for your first day, the employer or someone from the management has already briefed the entire staff about you, and how they should guide you along your way. Believe me when I say that your co-workers will be more than happy to answer your questions. With that, just go on asking questions. Not only will it benefit your career, in the long run, it can also help you start a conversation with your co-workers, and hopefully make a few friends.

Don’t be the first or last to leave the office

Being on a new job can be exciting. It might make you feel like you want to add in extra hours at the office. You might even think that it will be a clever way to impress your employer, but the thing is overworking can stress you out, and you know what happens when you’re stressed? Well, let’s just say, you’ll end up with a crummy output, just the last thing you need in your job right now.

It’s also not a good idea to be the first to leave the office. It might allow you to have enough rest, but it will also leave a negative impression on your co-worker and on the boss. They might think that you’re more eager to leave the office than getting work done.

Set expectations

Once you’ve had a taste of how things operate in the office, you should have a talk with your boss, and ask him about his real expectations for you. Why? Well, first of all, you have to let him know that you’re interested in the job. Another thing is that knowing what the boss wants from you will help you better sync your activities into reaching his standard.

Being the new girl or new guy means you have a lot of things to prove. This isn’t a myth. It’s true. And if happen to fail to prove yourself, you might end up jobless by the end of the month.

Author Bio

Stephen K. Millen has been a writer since ever since he could remember. He is now working as a Junior Manager for a marketing company. He travels a lot on his weekends, mostly on his bike. He writes for myhomeworkdone.net. His favourite niche includes business management, development communication and online marketing.